Nicole Tamarin

Despite a lifelong love of all things art and design, it took some time for artist Nicole Tamarin to find her fit in the industry. After studying industrial design and illustration in school she worked in the interior design industry while freelancing as an illustrator. She has done illustration for children’s books and products as well as editorial work but after discovering licensing she found her true call and passion.

Watercolor has been her main medium of choice for over fifteen years, an experience which can be seen in each of her carefully constructed images. She delivers exceptional attention to detail and a consistent level of finishing to each project she approaches, all while remaining flexible enough to adapt to the needs of her clients whether that be color changes or short turnarounds. “My goal was to make traditional watercolor as easy for manufactures to work with as art created digitally,” states the artist. It was a style and method which was carefully considered before approaching this new industry. In addition to her traditional skills, Nicole is well versed in Photoshop and enjoys being part of the product development process.

Launching her business at Surtex in 2012 put her in touch with manufacturers in several industries who responded well to her transitional approach to traditional art. Florals are a staple but Nicole is also drawn to classic themes ranging from children’s to every day. Her work has been described as whimsical, sophisticated, and above all, polished and is already being used on quilting fabric, wedding invitations, stationery products, electronic skins and cases, dinnerware, wall art, as well as greeting cards including her own card line with Pictura USA named “Gelato”.

Nicole lives and works in Worcester, MA with her equally artistic husband and daughter. There is usually a creation of some sort in progress from arts and crafts to space planning and home projects.